Dilemma
by Yuririn
Summary: Three guys, a girl, and a basketball player. There's a lot in store for Fujima in his life after Senior High.
1. Roommates

Hey!

Remember me? I'm currently writing the story entitled: "The Fan". If you didn't know that yet, well, go read it. ^_^

Anyway, guess what! I made another fic. This time it doesn't involve dares or anything mysterious and freaky. It's just a simple romance fic.

So, how did I end up doing another one? *shrugs* I just want to make a mushy story!!! Hehehe.

This is chapter one. Enjoy!

****

Chapter 1 - Roommates

"And you don't seem to understand, a shame you seemed an honest man…"

He turned up the volume of the radio and started humming.

"And everything you hold so dear, will turn to whisper in you ear…" 

It was almost midnight when he finally arrived at the suburbs of Nagai. The tall street lamps illuminated the empty road. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel as they followed the beat of the blaring speakers. Head bobbing in time with the music, his hand moved automatically to the clutch to pull it down.

"I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning, help me to breathe…"

His hands moved rapidly as he maneuvered the wheel, gripping its leather cover tightly, and the car made a sharp turn to the right. Darkness met him as he moved further away from the street lamps and entered a more rugged part of the city. Giggling teenagers exited a building. Their neon-colored hair and black leather outfits, coupled with their exposed tattoos and body piercings grabbed his attention.

"Punks." The young man said to himself. "And that building must be a bar."

It has been a month since he left his senior highschool, which he considered to be his second home, his friends his second family. Now he was entering a new stage in his life - college. What was it going to be like? Four years of nothing but grueling hours of studying, cramming for papers and reports, wrestling with tough subjects, adjusting to his professors, and of course making new friends and enemies. Would he survive? Would he ever make meet his dream? And what about his favorite pastime? Would he ever continue basketball? Why did he stop in the first place? It was because he needed another life, other than the sport. He wanted to prepare for his future.

Looking at those teenagers made him think: what made them choose that kind of living? Did their parents know what they have been doing? Had they prepared for their future, like what he had done for the past six years in high school? Relief flowed through him. He was not like them. He had a goal in life, and that was to be successful. 

A successful lawyer.

The clock inside his Celest beeped, telling him that it was exactly midnight. He was late. Very late. The new apartment which he was supposed to be staying might be closed. He knew he should have left earlier, but the good-bye party his friends and family prepared turned out to be a bit emotional. Too emotional. The long drive from his hometown to Nagai took him two hours.

He reached out for his wallet and took out a piece of paper.

Yamakage Apartments

Rm. 203

147-45 NO10-136 Shun'en

Nagai, Kanagawa

"It should be around here somewhere." He mumbled, looking around. "He told me it should be beside a grocery store."

Checking the area, he turned off his radio and opened the window. Wind suddenly rushed inside the vehicle making him shiver. He continued to scan the vicinity, driving his emerald green Porsche slowly, examining every fortification his eyes would fall upon.

There it was- a tall, narrow, cream-colored building. The apartment was beside an old grocery store named Takaya Fruits.

"Looks promising." He nodded. Then he drove his Celest along the parking zone. After a few moments he got out of the car and opened the trunk. 

* * *

"We should do this often!" A young man with black hair laughed as he drank his bottle of liquor. He was sitting on the floor with three other people. Beside him were six empty bottles and an empty bowl. The room was littered with magazines, crumpled paper, crushed soda cans and dirty clothes.

"Y-yeah, I wish everyday was Kazuya's birthday." The girl beside him said, while raising her bottle. She had long tangled dark brown hair, two earrings on each ear and was wearing a sleeveless red shirt that matched her lips.

Another man with dark blue hair with a short pony tail in front of her laughed. "I wish he had money so we can make everyday his birthday." He too, was wearing a sleevless shirt, and on his left arm displayed a G-clef tattoo.

"Hey, Kana. Shouldn't you be in bed by now? Your class starts tomorrow, remember?" The man beside the guy with the tattoo informed her. He wore a black polo that was open and showing some of his curly chest hairs. "You too, Eichiro." He turned to the other young man beside her.

"Oh, don't be such a worry wart Kazu-kun. It's just the first day." The girl, whom he called Kana, rolled her eyes. "Nothing's going to happen if I miss one day in college."

"Yeah, you were absent during the first day of college too right, Kazuya?" Eichiro, the man with black hair reminded him. "Besides, some of the classes start during the afternoon, so we won't be late at all, right, Teru?"

"He's got a point there, Kazuya." Teru, the tattooed guy told him, looking at his watch. "Hm, that's odd. My new roommate hasn't arrived---"

"Ah, shit!" The girl cursed all of a sudden, cutting off Teru. She was trying to tie her hair in a pony tail but some hair got tangled with her earrings.

"Your hair is better when it's down, Kana." Eichiro pointed out, opening another bottle.

Kana, looking a little drowsy gave Kazuya a sluggish stare. "Thanks, brother."

"For what? Oh… that wasn't me who said that." Kazuya replied.

Eichiro shook his head and took a long drink before he passed the bottle to Kana. "Here."

"Uh, yeah." She snatched the bottle and finished it with one gulp. Most of the drink spilled from the ends of her mouth, all the way to her shirt.

"That's my girl!" Eichiro laughed and winked at her.

Kana's brother, Kazuya, stood up and took can from the cooler and slumped back in his seat. "Your roommate's late, Teru." He flipped the can open. Bubbles oozed out.

"I know that, my cousin told me he'd come today. Probably got lost." He shrugged, taking a can from the cooler. "The guy's from the other side."

"Heh." Kana glanced at Teru and gave him an irritated look. "That guy's not coming any more, just look at the time. He's prolly asleep in his house with his mommy."

"What makes you say that?" Teru raised his pierced eyebrow.

"Dunno. I mean, who would stay out late at a time like this?" She said grumpily, grabbing his can.

"Hey! Get your own can you, bitch!" Teru tried to get it back, but she was already consuming it.

"Who you calling bitch? Bitch?!" Kana raised her voice and threw the can towards him.

"Why you---" Teru grabbed her by the neck.

"Hey! Easy! Chill out, man!" Eichiro seized Teru's hands, pulling it away from Kana.

"Don't mind her, Teru. Can't you see?" Kazuya crushed the can with his hands. "She's drunk."

"Your sister just called me a bitch!" Teru pointed a threatening finger at her. 

"So?" Her brother asked coolly.

Teru rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Never mind."

"Hey, where are you going?" Eichiro asked Kana as she suddenly stood up. "You leavin' me already?"

The girl was tall. She had a slender body, her skimpy hanging blouse revealing her piecred belly. Stains of her drinks were on her jeans.

"Hey, Kana!" Eichiro called out again while she walked away from them. Her body was swaying, her fingers were trembling, still she did not answer.

"I'm talking to you!"

There was a sudden rap on the door.

"Must be your roommate." Kazuya nudged Teru. "Go get the door, Kana! You're the closest." He laughed.

"I… I think…." She finally said covering her mouth as she reached out for the door knob and pulled it open.

A tall young man with brown hair was standing in front of her wearing a bluish black leather jacket. He had fair skin, deep blue eyes, and a perfectly handsome face.

"Hi." He greeted, smiling. "I'm sorry to disturb you at this time of the night but, I was wondering if--- Are you all right?" His face full of sudden concern for her.

Everything was spinning, her vision becoming blurry. She couldn't feel her legs anymore. The man was talking to her, but she couldn't answer. There was a lump inside her throat that she wanted to take out, or was that her stomach? She couldn't say a thing.

The young man caught her swaying body with his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, miss! Are you all right?" He shook her.

That made it worse.

Her eyes were at the verge of bulging out. She couldn't stop it any longer. She had to get it out.

"I… I think I'm gonna throw up." She blurted out, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

And she did.

All she wanted now was her soft bed, she wanted to lie down and sleep. Slowly her face landed on his chest, smiling.

She was asleep already.

He looked at the girl with a mixed expression of shock and disgust. She just ruined his brand new leather coat that he just bought. But it wasn't time to get mad. Instead, he felt the waves of panic.

"Uh. A little help here?" He called out to no one.

Three guys at that point appeared in front of him.

Kazuya shook his head in disappointedly. "I'm sorry about that, are you the new roommate?"

He nodded briefly.

"You have a name?"

"It's Kenji. Fujima Kenji." He said politely, trying to ignore the smell of the vomit the girl just gave him.

"Well, Kenji," Kazuya sighed before flashing him a grin. "Congratulations, you have just been blessed."

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*pokes* Review please!


	2. Introductions

Ugh.

Why do I keep forgeting the important stuff on the first chapter? Anyway… Slam Dunk and Fujima Kenji are owned by Inoue-sensei. The rest are mine.

This story is inspired by the song: Dilemma by Nelly. The song featured in chapter 1 is entitled: Duvet by BoA, the opening theme from the anime Serial Experiments Lain.

Why of all the characters, why did I choose Fujima? Well, He does look interesting, doesn't he? Am I babbling too much? No? Okay… *talks more*

Star-gazing, Don't worry. I know you didn't. Kitty-sama, Kazuya? He's older. 

This story is not allowed for children under the age of… 13. ^_^

*thinks* Oh yeah, thank you very very much to those who reviewed. *hugs*

Enjoy the rest of the chapter!

****

Chapter 2 - Introductions

"Blessed?!" Eichiro eyed the new arrived person. "You call _that_ blessed?" Then he looked at Kana, who was sleeping so soundly over the young man's jacket that was smothered with her spew. "Damn, she did it again!" He laughed.

Kazuya laughed as well. "I'm really sorry, my sister has this habit of puking everytime she gets drunk."

"That's fine. I guess." Fujima replied, still holding the girl by the shoulders. He took a quick glance at her and noticed that she didn't look drunk at all, except for the fact that she smelled like liquor. "I think this lady needs to go to bed now." He told them.

"Go get her." Kazuya ordered Eichiro. "That should be your job, not his."

Eichiro slumped his broad shoulders as he approached Fujima. The new guy was a few inches taller than him but Kazuya and Teru were a lot bigger and broader. He turned to Kana, who looked as beautiful as ever. It made him a little jealous, however, seeing her sleeping in another man's arms.

"I'll take her to her room." Eichiro said to Fujima. He reached out for her, taking her gently by the hand. Then suddenly, unknowingly, she raised her arm and elbowed him right on the face.

"Fuck! My nose!!!" Eichiro swore. He stumbled on the floor covering his face with both hands. Blood poured out of his nose, dripping on the floor. "You bitch! Look what you did!"

"Eichiro!" Teru ran to him and helped him up. He fished a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood. "Get some ice, Kazuya."

The brother shook his head again then he threw his hands in the air. "This always happens!" He walked to the cooler and grabbed some ice, while Teru led Eichiro to the bathroom. After a few seconds, Kazuya followed.

Fujima and the sleeping Kana still stood by the door way. He watched, astonished at the actions of these four people he just met.

Kazuya's head popped out from the bathroom door. "Look, Kenji, right? I'm really sorry about this, can you---"

Before he could finish, Fujima already stepped out of the doorway, carrying Kana in his arms. "_I'll take her_, where's her room?"

Kazuya gave a sigh of relief and smiled. "Her room's just behind you. 202."

"Is it…"

"It's open. Kana doesn't lock it unless she's changing." He informed him. Then he went back to the bathroom.

Fujima turned around and went across the other side to the other door. He could still hear Eichiro screaming in pain and yelling curses.With one hand he reached for the knob and pushed the door open. The room was dark and damp. The unpleasant mixture of alcohol and cigarettes made him cough. He felt the walls in order to look for the switch. When he found it, he walked over to her messy bed and carefully placed her down.

"You shouldn't be wasting your time doing this." He shook his head in pity, looking at her sleeping face. It wasn't really in his system to do so, but he couldn't help but study her features from head to foot. She was awfully slim but it suited her. Seeing the belly pierce made him laugh a bit, thinking it looked cute. Fujima searched the room for a blanket, he found the it on the floor. He picked it up, slowly placing it on her. "Sleep well," He whispered then he turned off the light and closed the door.

When he reached the other room, the three of them were already sitting on the floor. Eichiro held a piece of cloth covering his nose, while the two other's were drinking.

"Is she going to be all right?" Fujima asked them.

"She's fine, don't worry." Kazuya answered, standing up. He held out his hand to reach his and said, "Matsuzawa Kazuya, I'm Kana's older brother."

"Teru." The man with the ponytail and tattoo rose. "Minami Teruo."

"Hanagata-san's cousin, I presume?" Fujima made sure, shaking his hand.

"Second to be exact." Teru answered back, smiling. "He told me all about you, well… not all, but some. Y'know what I mean, right?"

Fujima nodded and turned to Eichiro.

"I heard him call you Eichiro." Fujima said, giving Teru a momentary glance.

The young man stood up and removed the cloth revealing a few blood stains on his pale face. "Ueda Eichiro."

"Fujima Kenji." He announced again.

"Took you quite some time to get here, Kenji." Kazuya sat on the couch. He opened the cooler and took out a can then he offered it to Fujima. "Drink?"

Fujima shook his head. "I just had some." He said, pointing to his vomit soiled jacket.

The three laughed.

"You'll be staying with Teru." Kazuya began, "So, this is your room. Eichiro and my room are just beside you guys. You know Kana's room now, right?" He opened the can and drank from it.

Fujima nodded.

"If you hear any weird noises in the middle of the night, that's just probably Kana or the couple who lives upstairs. You get the picture?"

"Yeah."

"The laundry room is downstairs, and if you really want to save that jacket of yours, you should wash it right away."

"Thanks." He replied taking off the jacket. Fujima was wearing a white polo underneath.

"So, You're here for college?" Kazuya changed the topic. "What school?"

"Daigo University." Fujima answered while folding the jacket.

"What's your major?"

"Pre-law."

"Pre-law?!" Eichiro spat out. "Are you out of your mind?!"

"Daigo has the best law course in Japan.That's why I'm here." Fujima automatically informed him. "What about you?" He looked at them.

"Music." Teru frowned. "Same school."

"I'm going to Daigo too. Architecture." Eichiro answered, rubbing his nose. Then he drank from his can.

"Mechanical Engineering. I study at Sekigawa. I'm two years older than you guys." Kazuya ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. "Pretty heavy course you have there. What school did you graduate from anyway?"

"Shoyo." Fujima said, shifting his weight.

"Never heard." Kazuya stroked his rough chin. "Are you just going to stand there?"

Fujima looked for a nice place to sit. He found a stool beside the cooler and sat down.

"Damn that sister of yours!" Eichiro said angrily. "I think that bitch just broke my nose!"

"Watch your mouth there, Eichiro. That bitch is my sister." Kazuya warned him. "And is that a way to call your girl?"

"She's more like a man to me."

Teru laughed. "That woman will never change. I think she fights more like a guy than you!"

"Shut your mouth, Teru." Eichiro shot back. "I swear, Kazuya. I'm going to kill her if she does that again."

"She was drunk, you moron!" Kazuya defended. "You're her boyfriend, you should be the one teaching her how to act like a woman."

"You're the brother!"

"So? She's family, I don't care if she acts like that anyway."

Eichiro muttered some curse words under his breath. "I don't know why I keep up with that woman. You should be the one dealing with her, not me! I've had enough with her."

"You said that for the last six months, asshole." Kazuya snickered.

Fujima gave a slight cough. "She looks nice."

"Nice my ass!" Eichiro disagreed. "You call _this_ nice?" He pointed at his nose. "You haven't really met her. I tell you, you wouldn't last a day with that bitch!"

"I said watch your words, Eichiro." Kazuya warned. "Even if you keep complaining about her, you still end up together anyway."

"You just need to treat her like a woman, that's all." Fujima said casually.

"Yeah, like you know so much." Eichiro hissed. "I bet you can't even last a whole month with her!"

Fujima's face became serious. "I know how to deal with women, but she's your girl, so it's none of my business."

Teru chuckled. "Don't do it, Eichiro."

"Well, if we can't handle her, let _him_ do it, since he _knows_ so much."

"I really don't have time for this." Fujima said, looking at Kazuya waiting for him to say something.

Kazuya just shrugged.

"If you can't make her change, we'll kick you out!" Eichiro gave a sloppy grin.

"This is getting stupid. Stop it, Eichiro." Teru demanded. "He's drunk, don't mind him." He said to Fujima. "We don't mind if you try help out change Kana, even if you don't, we're not going to kick you out."

"Hey! What the---" Eichiro tried to fight back but Kazuya seized him by the shoulders.

"Your class starts tomorrow too, right?" Kazuya asked Fujima.

Fujima nodded.

"You guys need some rest." He said, dragging Eichiro out of the room. Eichiro was struggling to break free from Kazuya's clutches, yelling.

Teru and Fujima stood up and followed the two out. 

"See you in the morning." Teru waved.

* * *

"Your room is at the right side." Teru pointed out. He helped Fujima carry this things inside the room.

"Okay."

"If you're hungry, the kitchen is right there." He said pointing to the other side. "I don't usually eat here, so you have to buy or cook your own chow."

Fujima nodded, following his direction.

"I have band practice every Thursday and Friday night. At Saturdays and Sundays we hold our gig at the bar a few blocks from here. You're always welcome there if you wanna party."

"Thanks." He said dryly.

They entered the room. Fujima found it a little less comforting. The walls were painted cream, just like the outside of the building. There was a bed, a table, a cabinet and an airconditioner.

"Who was your roommate before?" He asked curiously at Teru.

"My ex-girlfriend. She moved out a month ago." Teru replied coolly, walking out of the door. "Hey, you don't mind if I play my guitar outside, do you?"

"It's fine." 

"Well, I leave you here. If you need anything, I'm just next door." Teru placed his hands in his pockets and walked away.

"Thanks again." Fujima nodded and sat on the bed. He kicked out his shoes off his feet and dropped on the bed. After a few minutes, he fell asleep.

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Okay, I'm sure you know what to do. ^_^; 


	3. First Day

I'm hungry.

But, I'm going to upload this chapter first before I eat. ^_^ Ahh… I'm suddenly starting to have this "crush" thing on Fujima-kun. *_*

Thanks to the wonderful reviews again.

****

Chapter 3 - First Day

It was raining the next morning when Fujima woke up. The sounds of the tiny droplets of water splashed down the window panes on his new apartment. Gray clouds hovered on the sky and darkness was surrounding them, making it look like the day was about to end. 

He tightened his embrace on his solitary pillow and shivered. Forgetting to get the blanket out was a big mistake. His watch suddenly beeped telling him it was already 10:00 am. Fujima suddenly sat up, closed his eyes and massaged his temples. There was a slight feeling of anxiety inside him.

It was the first day of college.

He looked around and noticed that he forgot to change his clothes. His things were still unpacked and he was late for the first subject.

"I'll wake up early tomorrow." He assured himself.

Fujima placed one hand on his forehead and slowly raked his fingers through his brown hair. The rain still continued to fall, soaking everything on the outside. He wanted to lie down and rest, but there was a big day waiting for him. Finally, he took a deep breath and exhaled. He stood up, unbuttoned his polo shirt, then bent down to open his suitcase and took out a towel. He hung the towel around his slender shoulders and walked out of the room.

"Morning." Teru greeted him. He was still wearing his outfit from last night. The tattooed young man was on the couch watching T.V. "Slept well?"

"Morning." Fujima replied. "Yeah. You got classes today?"

"Nope. I just took a few subjects. I'm not really good with heavy loads." He lowered the volume. "How 'bout you?"

"I'm full. 18 units." Fujima looked around, he just remembered his jacket from last night.

"Your jacket's still in the laundry. I brought it there last night together with my stuff." Teru informed him.

"Thanks. You shouldn't have bothered."

"No prob. The bathroom's beside the kitchen by the way." Teru glanced at him then he changed the channel.

Fujima nodded and headed towards the said direction.

* * *

The water heater was broken, much to his dismay, so he had to suffer with freezing water instead. At last Fujima got out of the bathroom, the towel wrapped around his waist. Shivering, he dashed straight to his room.

While waiting for his hair to dry up, he managed to unpack his things and set his belongings.

After half an hour, he was finished. He wore a simple striped blue and white polo shirt, black slacks and over his shoulders was his backpack.

He found Teru still in front of the T.V. Then there was a quick knock on the door.

"Open up, Teru." It was a woman's voice.

"I'll get it." Fujima offered as he rushed towards the door. 

He opened it. Kana, the girl from last night (or was it morning already then?) stood on the other side. She was wearing a hanging purple blouse with a star in the middle and a pair of torn jeans. Her hair was dripping wet and she didn't wear any make-up. Her belly piercing was still there and she caught Fujima staring at it.

"What?!" she demanded, breaking his thoughts. One of her eyebrows arched suspiciously.

"Oh," Fujima gave her an innocent look. "Sorry, come in."

He led Kana to Teru, who didn't even look at her when she came in. Kana sat beside Teru on the couch, looking at him.

"What do you need?" Teru asked in a monotonous tone.

Kana rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. "I'm late, I need to borrow your motorcycle."

"It's raining. You'll get wet.Too dangerous."

"So? It's just water. C'mon. I need a ride." Kana begged.

"No." Teru replied.

"What the…why not?!" Her voice raised. "You don't have classes anyway."

"I just fixed the damned motor. Don't you remember the last time you used it? The radiator got jammed." He reminded her as if he was talking to a child.

"That was two weeks ago." She answered, annoyed. "I'll just use it for today."

"Yeah, and tomorrow too and the next day and the next next day." Teru finally tore his eyes away from the television, and eyed her. "I'm not stupid, Kana. You don't have a license anyway."

"Oh geez!" Kana threw her hands in the air, giving up. "Fine! You men are always so selfish when it comes to---"

"I have a car. I can drive you." Fujima suddenly proposed.

Teru and Kana both looked at him with their eyes wide. "You will?" They said in unison.

The former Shoyo captain looked a little unsure, but he shrugged it off. "Sure. I'm going to school anyway."

"Great!" Kana jumped out of the couch and grabbed Fujima by the arm. "Quick, let's go!" She dragged him out of the room.

* * *

"Cool! You own a Porcshe?!" Kana screamed with excitement as they entered the covered parking area. "That's so awesome! I was hoping to ride one of these."

"A gift from my father." Fujima told her as he opened the passenger door for her. He shut it firmly as soon as she entered.

"Seatbelts." He reminded her when he was inside.

She gave him a look before saying, "Oh, yeah." and searched for the seatbelt beside her.

The sky continued to weep, making the streets slippery.

"So… uh…" Kana tried to start a conversation.

"Kenji. Fujima Kenji." He supplied.

"Right. Kenji… I mean, Fujima-kun. You studying in Daigo too?"

He nodded.

"Same here. I'm taking Visual Arts. You?"

"Pre-law."

"Wow." She said in amazement. "That…that's great."

"Thank you."

"Ahh, stupid me. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm---"

"Matsuzawa Kana. Your brother already told me." He said, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Of course." She snorted. "What else did he tell you.?"

Fujima shook his head. "Nothing much. Just introductions."

"So, you met the rest?" She asked, looking out the window.

He gave a brief nod.

"Sorry about last night. I didn't mean to." Kana finally said it, as if she had trouble saying it before. "You shook me so hard. I…"

"I know, I'm sorry myself." He replied, taking a quick glance of her. She was slightly shivering from the breeze of the aircon. Fujima quickly turned it off.

"You shouldn't be wearing clothes like that when it's cold." He told her, reaching out fom something at the back. He pulled out his green and white shoyo jacket and handed it to her. "Here. It will at least keep you warm."

Kana took it and placed it around her shoulders. "Thanks."

There was a moment of silence until he spoke to her again.

"Why didn't you let your boyfriend take you?" He asked as he made a quick left turn.

"My what? Oh…you mean Eichiro?" 

He nodded.

"He already left when I woke up." She brushed some of her hair off her shoulders. "He usually fetches me after school."

"Sorry about that. Your brother told me last night that the two of you were a couple."

"Not officially." Kana added. "We're really just very good friends."

"I noticed." He said, remembering the accident last night. Eichiro was really mad at her as if she was nothing to him.

The rest of the ride became quiet, and they arrived at their university. 

Daigo University.

The parking area was nearly full. Fujima had a hard time looking for a free spot. Kana found one but it was very far from the entrance. Still, they didn't take any chances and took it.

Rain was still pouring hard on them. The school walks where very slippery by this time. Fujima and Kana got out of the car and raced together towards the main entrance.

Fujima looked at his watch. "My third subject starts in 10 minutes. You?" he asked.

Kana scanned the campus, fixing her damp hair. She was still wearing his jacket. "I don't know yet, I haven't checked my schedules. You run along. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I know my way, don't worry." She sighed.

"Okay then, see you!" Fujima turned around with a slight wave.

"Fujima-kun!" She called out.

He glanced over his shoulder.

"Thanks for the ride." She smiled, her dimples heart-melting.

Suddenly Fujima felt warm all over. He nodded slowly, and smiled back. "Anytime." He said and walked away.


	4. Troublemaker

Hey!

Sorry about the very short chapter 3. Anyway… this chapter is a few pages longer. ^_^ And I was asked to post this: http://limitedhate.net/sdf/K

It's our Slam Dunk RP Journals page. We just want our beloved SD fans friends to come and visit our humble page.

Thanks again to my reviewers:

sLL: Yeah, that's why I decided to make a different kind of Fujima fic. I'm glad you noticed.

frozenfemale: Aw. Don't worry about Fujima, he's in good hands. *wink*

Shirodachi: Why did you have to slap Kana too? Jealous? Or you want Fujima too? Hehe.

Iron Kitty: Thank you so much for reviewing and inspiring me a lot. I'm looking forward for the next chapters of your story… as always.

Melps: Hey! I'm glad you decided to read my story.

I hope you like this chapter. Enjoy!!!

****

Chapter 4 - Troublemaker

Noise filled his ears as soon as he walked into his classroom. It was swarming with students. He noticed that some of them were wearing their uniforms now. Those were probably old students from the school and the ones not in uniform, like him, were new transferees, he thought. Sparkling deep blue eyes scanned the area for possible seats. He saw one in the middle. Casually he walked over across the room to take his seat, ignoring the sudden murmurs of giggling girls behind him.

He sat down on his chair, placing his bag on the floor. Girls continued to giggle flirtatiously behind him. He could actually hear them talking about how cute the guy in front of them was. Now, they were comparing him to some other new boys they just saw.

Fujima tried to hide his laugh. "These girls still think their in high school."

The classroom clock was now 11:25. Their professor was ten minutes late.

"So, the rebelling princess finally exchanged the pauper for a prince." Someone said, standing right beside him.

He turned his head to look and found a small looking girl. The girl was already wearing her uniform, which was a dark blue coat with white blouse inside and a red silk necktie. Below she wore a short pleated skirt, knee-high socks and platform shoes with steel buckles. She had beautiful golden brown curls that reached her shoulders. Her make-up was overused though.

"I beg your pardon?" Fujima asked, his forehead creasing.

"I'm sorry to be impolite or anything but I just saw you by the parking lot with _that_ girl." She replied acidly.

"You mean Kana?"

"Who else?"

"I was on my way to school and she needed a ride. So I gave her a lift." He explained in a as-a-matter-of-factly manner.

"Oh, how nice of you. What did she bribe this time?" The girl said rolling her eyes.

"Nothing." He sounded irritated. "We live in the same apartment."

"How exciting." She said flatly, then afterwards she flashed him a smile. "I'm Yukari. Satoh Yukari." Then she held out her hand.

"Fujima Kenji." He responded.

"You are new here, aren't you? Fujima-san?"

He nodded.

"Pre-law as well?" She sounded so innocent.

A returned another nod.

"That's so nice. We're the same!" Yukari clasped her hands. "How come I didn't see you earlier during the first class?"

__

Why does this girl ask so many questions?

"I woke up late."

"Why? Your _roommates_ didn't wake you up?" She played with her curls.

__

It's none of your business. He wanted to answer. "No. I overslept."

"I could let you borrow my notes, if you want too." Yukari offered, changing the subject.

"Thanks." He replied dryly. "Maybe next time." Fujima sensed that he was very uncomfortable with her around.

"Fujima-san, I'm very sorry about my very rude introduction. You might think now that I'm just one of those girls who flirt with every good-looking guy they see." She placed one hand on his shoulder. "I'm just concerned about your well-being since you are new here." She pressed his shoulders hard. "As soon-to-be president of the freshmen political science council, I warn you about _that_ woman and her friends---" She paused, "---if she has some." Then she lowered her head and whispered in his ear, "She's a troublemaker, so watch out or you might be her next victim."

Yukari walked back swaying her hips to her seat in the front. Fujima felt a little relieved that she left him but there was a slight notion of confusion upon what she just told. He shrugged it off anyway. Their literature professor finally came in.

He listened carefully and took down several important notes, like what references were they going to use and the current website of their subject.

The class ended soon after. Pangs of hunger attacked him as soon as he stood up. He forgot to eat breakfast, so he rushed out of the classroom to beat the line in the cafeteria.

There was some commotion going on over the cafeteria when he arrived. Students flocked a certain table, cheering and yelling. Out of curiosity, he walked over to take a peek.

Because he was a few inches taller than the other students he could see half of the excitement. To his surprise he saw her. Kana. She was arm wrestling another student. A guy. Kana was still wearing his Shoyo jacket, and it was stained with ketchup.

He frowned.

"Go girl! Don't let him beat you!" One student cheered.

"You're gay, Satoshi!" Another guy from somewhere screamed. "My sister fights better than you!"

"Ready to give up, Sato-kun?" Kana gritted her teeth.

"Not in a million years, Matsuzawa!" The guy shot back, his face turning red.

For a woman, Fujima found Kana simply astonishing and at the same time, stupid. Why does she have to fight like that? It was obviously childish. Was this the one Yukari mentioned to him? About her being a troublemaker?

"I'm gonna kick your sorry ass in the street!" Kana gloated. Then she moved her shoulders a little forward, pushing and pressing her strenght down to her wrestling arm. In an instant, she yanked Satoshi's arm down the table creating a loud wham.

The people roared in laughter and triumph. Some clapped their hands, while others whistled. Fujima shook his head with embarassement for the guy and turned away from the crowd walking over the counter to buy his food. He sat down an empty table, far away from the noise and munched down his chicken sandwich and apple juice. He could still hear some shouting from where he sat.

Then the mass of people began to cheer again. But this time it was different, and got his attention again.

There was some kind of shrieking coming from them. He knew what that was. It was a fist fight.

Was Kana in trouble?

He quickly rushed towards them and squeezed his way through the booming crowd. 

"Ungh." Fujima got his breath knocked out of him. An elbow came out of nowhere and came in contact with his shoulder. He winced at the pain, but he still continued to fight his way in.

It was a really shocking scene for him when he reached the middle. Kana was fighting yet again, this time with a girl. The girl was bigger than her, but Kana seemed to be winning. 

"Kana-san!" He called out.

That got her attention. 

"Fujima-kun?" Her eyes wide. Then all of a sudden, while she was distracted, the other girl's fist came directly towards her face and punched her right on the cheek.

  
"Bitch!!!" Kana screamed in surprise, putting one hand over her face. She didn't topple down as she received the blow, instead she raised her fist and instantly punched the girl on the jaw knocking her off.

The girl's body slammed on the floor, unconscious. The crowd around them suddenly went wild and howled in amazement.

"What on earth do you think you're doing!?" Fujima kneeled on the floor to check the other girl's pulse. She was still breathing.

"She called me a whore! What was I supposed to do?" Kana protested, wiping her face with the sleeve of his jacket.

Before Fujima could add anything else, the crowd separated and maked way for a middle aged man with glasses and spiky hair.

"This will stop, now." The man announced.

"Of course, the fight's over, Mr. M." Kana answered coolly.

"I order you all to go to your respective classrooms." The man glared at every face his eyes could reach. "All, except for you, Matsuzawa-san." Then he looked at Fujima who was kneeling on the floor. "Could you please take Ishida-san to the clinic?"

Fujima nodded and helped the girl up. The he looked at Kana one last time and shook his head disappointedly.

Kana just shrugged and followed the other man out of the cafeteria.

* * *

"Please be still, Fujima-san." The nurse said as she treated his bruise.

Fujima winced. "It's okay. You don't need to do that. Please tend to your other patients."

The nurse smiled. "I must treat you first. Ishida-san will be fine."

"No. Please. I'm late for my other class." He stood up and forced a smile. He noticed the nurse was blushing. When he mentioned the word - _class_, he remembered that he left his bag in the cafeteria. Fujima bowed his head at the nurse and left the clinic.

While walking, he saw a familiar face. With that person was his bag.

"I told you she was trouble." Yukari handed him his backpack.

"Thanks." Fujima replied, taking the bag and swinging it over his left shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to return your things. I saw you at the cafeteria with that boxing queen friend of yours."

He chose not to say anything.

"I checked your schedule. It looks like we'll be classmates for the whole semester." She smiled sweetly.

__

Great. That was all what he needed. A stuck-up snob who invaded his private life.

Yukari Sato accompanied Fujima to their next class and stayed with him until the rest of the day.

Economics was his last class and it ended about five-thirty in the afternoon. The rain seemed to abate by then. He gathered his things and walked out of the classroom before Yukari could catch up.

Walking all by himself in the corridors, he could sense girls gaping at him when he passed by. Fujima took out his car keys from his pocket and hurried to the school exit. When he got outside he saw Kana running down the stairs. He followed her every move, and it seemed that the commotion inside the cafeteria was really nothing to her. The girl stopped from running and jumped, then she landed safely in the arms of Eichiro. The couple looked at each other, smiling happily and kissed.

"Very good friends." Fujima nodded solemnly, looking away and walked towards the other side of the stairs.

He reached his two-door sports car and quickly drove out of the campus. To his dismay raindrops started to pour again. It grew darker and darker. Finally, he turned on his headlights to see the road.

While driving, his cellphone started to vibrate inside his bag. He reached in and fished out his flip-top phone.

"Hello?" He answered. 

"Fujima, it's me." The voice replied.

"Hanagata!"

"So, how's our old captain doing so far?"

"Good, good. You?"

"Doing fine. How's my cousin treating you?"

"He's cool."

"School?"

"Today was my first day. Yours?"

"My classes start next week. Hasegawa and I are still looking for a place to stay for the school year."

"Still haven't found one, huh? I told you before, you guys can always go to Daigo with me."

"Daigo doesn't have med school."

Fujima laughed, narrowing his eyes on the road while driving as the rain continued to pour.

"How's the first day of class?"

"Interesting." He said, remembering of all the uncanny things that happened that morning.

"Interesting?"

"Yeah. College is a lot more different than senior high."

"I know. Joined the basketball club yet?"

Fujima shook his head. "No. Not yet. I'll try to concentrate on my studies first. I plan to enter when I reach second year. I enrolled a lot of subjects this semester and---" He saw a vague figure on the road and screamed. "HEY! Get out of the road!"

He quickly stepped on the brakes, making his car stop all of a sudden and produced a loud screech. 

"I'll call you later, Hanagata. Something's up." He put down the phone and raced out of the car. The hard rain made it difficult for him to see and move. He walked to the front and found a woman crying helplessly on the ground.

"Are you all right?" He squinted and stooped down.

The girl looked up to him gravely. "I… I twisted my ankle." She said nervously.

"Don't worry. I'll help you." He offered and aided the girl into his car. Then he ran back to his seat and closed the door. Both of them were cold and soaked. Fujima ran his fingers through his wet hair and started the engine.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked, looking at her. The woman had short, chin length brown hair and brown eyes, her face was pale and her lips and fingers were trembling.

The girl gave a faint smile. "It's all right. I'm okay. The streets were very slippery."

"I'm new here, so I don't know where the hospital is yet. I could take you there just lead the way." He insisted.

"No. I'm really fine. It's not broken or anything. I could still walk."

"It's too dangerous if you walk alone at a time like this." Fujima explained while driving slowly. "Where can I drop you off?"

"I'm actually on my may to work." She wiped her face. "Maybe it's good if I just head home."

"Good idea," He agreed. "Where do you live?"

"Chisa Drive at Shun'en." The girl told him.

"You live in my area. That's fine, I know the way." Fujima made a quick left turn.

"Thank you, sir."

"It's Kenji. Fujima Kenji." He smiled.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm Sen, Nishimura Sen." She bowed and smiled back.

"Why do you keep calling me sir? I think we're just the same age."

Sen shook her head and laughed. "It's just my way when I speak to strangers. I might look a little young, but I'm sure I'm older than you are."

"Well, we're not really strangers now. Just call me Kenji or Fujima." Fujima took a quick glance at her before her made a right turn.

"Okay, Fujima-san." She paused. "Thank you again for your help."

----------

More additions to the female population of this fic. Keep those reviews coming! ^_^


	5. Uncertainty

Don't you just hate headaches?

Before the reading the chapter, I would like to greet some people. ^_^

Shirodachi: Hanagata will appear here… sometime… I hope.

sLL: Yep, I looks like a movie to me too. Do you thnik Fujima-san is a little OOC?

frozenfemale: I'll be glad to give you Fujima-san, but lets give my OC's a little bit of him. ^^

Alexia: Sen is nice. I like her too. You own Kenji too? My my…

Iron Kitty: Thank you so much for giving time on reading this fic of mine. 

nothingtodo: OMG! You finally read it! *is so happy* Yeah, Kana is a punk. 

Anyway… Chapter 5 of The Fan is updated. Read… read… Rukawa-kun wants attention too.

And finally, here is chapter 5! Enjoy!

****

Chapter 5 - Uncertainty

"Hey, You doin' something tonight? It's Friday, we have band practice, wanna come?" Teru called to Fujima as soon as he saw him walk out of his room. His roommate was wearing his new school uniform.

Fujima thought for a while. "What time?"

"Around six. Let's meet back here after school." Teru carefully wiped the face of his red electric guitar. "I'll introduce you to my bandmates, so you'll get to meet other people."

"Sure." He nodded and opened the door. "See you later."

Thank goodness it was a bright blue sky that welcomed him when he went out to the parking lot. It had been three days since he started school at Daigo University. Everything seemed to work out just fine. He met a few good friends and easily adjusted with his subjects and professors. 

When he reached the area where his car was parked, he saw Kana leaning against the door of his car. She seemed to be waiting for him. He noticed that she too was wearing her uniform and thought that it really looked good on her. The skirt wasn't that short and wasn't that long either, although it revealed flawless long legs. Her hair was neatly tied in a pony tail and still she didn't wear any make-up. However, Fujima was a little disappointed because her cute belly ring was out of sight.

"You're up early." Fujima greeted. She was seriously gazing at her nails by the time he approached her. She was wearing black nail polish today.

Startled by his sudden arrival, Kana quickly picked up the brown paper bag that was on the floor and handed it to him with both hands.

"Thank you for lending me your jacket." She bowed her head, "Here, I washed it."

Fujima reached for the paper bag and opened it. It was his jacket alright. The jacket was neatly folded and smelled fresh from the laundry.

Kana looked up and tried to meet his eyes but her sight fell on his shoes. Nice shoes, she thought. Then slowly she looked all the way up from his pants to his coat. He looked very well-groomed and clean. She could smell the spicy scent of his aftershave from a distance. The aroma lingered through her nostrils, forcing her to take a deep breath.

"Thanks." Fujima said, waiting for her to say more.

She just couldn't look at him. Every time she tried, she felt nervous. It was a scary and uncomfortable feeling. Kana felt a lump on her throat and found it hard to speak for a while.

Fujima waited.

"I'm really sorry if I freaked you out the other day, Fujima-kun." Kana began. "I was only trying to protect myself. They…they… were laughing at me when I came in… I couldn't do anything else."

"Why?" That was all he could say.

Kana bit her lip and took one quick glance at him. "They always do that. I don't know. Sometimes they just talk about me without any reason at all, it's like I carry some sort of curse or disease."

He looked confused. 

She laughed nervously. He saw her dimples suddenly appear. "Anyway, it's nothing. I should go now. See you at school!" She turned around and walked away.

"Kana-san!" Fujima called but she ignored it. She hurried out of the drive way and into the streets.

Fujima ran his fingers through his hair and then entered the car. A lot of questions suddenly flowed inside his mind as he started the engine. Does her brother or Eichiro know about that? Why do those people have to tease her? What's with her anyway that they don't like? She seems so tough on the outside, but inside he could sense her loneliness and despair. He knew that because he could see it through her eyes when she talks. Then he thought about those things that Yukari told him. Everything seemed to be so perplexing and mysterious. It was all up to his instincts. He didn't know what or whom to believe. It was like he wanted to know everything at the same time. The more he tried to ask questions and learn the answers, the more interesting it became… she became.

Kana was really not far away when he reached the road. She was walking alone, looking dazed, not knowing of the car creeping up behind her. He carefully drove his Celest beside the rim of the sidewalk and slowly followed her. Fujima opened the window and tried to get her attention.

"Why'd you run off like that? I thought you needed a ride to school?" He said, exchanging glances at her and the street from time to time.

"Remember what Teru said the other day when I wanted to borrow his bike?" She continued to walk, not looking at him. "After I borrow it, I need to use it again and the day after. I don't want you to think that I'm just being your friend so that I could ride with you everyday."

She was really a tough one, he noted.

"Thanks, but I'm used of walking everyday." Kana said coldly.

Fujima couldn't help but laugh. It was the first time he laughed, not because he found her statement funny. It was her determination that made him feel lighthearted all of a sudden. 

"Laugh all you want. I don't care." She rolled her eyes annoyingly.

He shook his head and opened the passenger door with his reach, the car was still moving. "I don't mind."

"Don't mind what?" She stopped and raised an eyebrow.

He slowly halted the car.

"Driving you to school." He replied coolly. "We go to the same school don't we? We live in the same apartment. It can't be helped."

Kana fell silent.

"We're going to be late." He informed. "You coming or not?"

"Alright." She gave a loud sigh and then smiled, showing him her dimples once again.

****

She was silent when Fujima started to drive at a more maximum speed. The girl just blankly stared at the window. Her eyes were full of questions and answers that he wanted to uncover. It was too early, he thought. Maybe someday he _would_ know. But not today.

"So, are you and Eichiro officially a couple now?" He started. Fujima knew that it wasn't like him to be asking questions like that but he couldn't help but ask.

__

Of all the questions to ask. Kana turned to him with wide eyes. "Excuse me?"

"I saw you the other day by the stairs when he fetched you." He replied casually.

He received a quick and heavy punch on the arm. "Ow!"

"You were spying on us?!" She raised her voice. Her face was crimson but then she laughed. "To tell you the truth, I don't know. We're usually like that but, he doesn't consider us as a couple."

"I'm confused." He admitted, taking a long look at her when the car stopped in front of a traffic light.

"Me too. It's just like we understand each other but no commitment." She tried to explain. "I don't really know."

"Have you asked him about this?"

"I try to, but he changes the subject. So I just let it pass."

The traffic light turned green again and they continued their ride to school. Fujima made a quick right turn and pursued on their conversation.

"Are you comfortable with that?"

Kana shrugged. "It's been six months. I'm used to it. Why?"

Fujima frowned. "I just find it unusual. If you both like each other why deny it? When two people share the same feelings, they always end up in a relationship. I guess the both of you are still not ready for that."

"Maybe." She gave it a thought.

"You love him don't you?" He suddenly had to ask.

She didn't answer. She didn't know what to answer. Or did she?

"It's alright. I'm sorry, I just got curious… Kana-san?" Fujima looked at her. She was trembling, her fists closed and her eyes almost filled with tears. It was really different from they way she acted a while ago.

"I don't really know if it's love." She responded. Her voice shaky.

"Don't worry. You'll be able to distinguish that when the right time comes." He comforted her. "Sometimes, it's harder to say no when you really mean yes."

They reached school after a few minutes and separated at the main hallway. Fujima went to his classmroom and pushed away all those thoughts for a while. He concentrated on his subjects until the rest of the day.

* * *

Teru was wearing a black shirt with skulls in the background when Fujima arrived back at the apartment. Kana was there and she wore a simple navy blue top and her usual torn bootleg jeans. Her hair was down and tucked behind her ears.

"She said she wanted to tag along." Teru said, eyeing her.

"You said it was okay." Kana defended. "Anyway, he would be very bored if he was alone in the studio."

"He's _not_ going to be alone. That's why I asked him to come, so he could meet the others." The tattooed guy explained.

Fujima took off his school coat and went to his room without saying a word. The two continued to argue from the outiside. Then, he went out wearing a white Nike t-shirt.

"Let's go." Fujima invited, going out of the room once again. Teru brought along his guitar and Kana followed.

The studio they went was mediocre looking and airconditioned. The walls were painted blue and black with framed posters of different pop and rock bands.

Teru led them to a room at the second floor of the small building. Three people welcomed them when they entered.

"What took you so long?" A man with spiky red hair and a pair of earings on each ear said. "I thought you said six?"

"Yeah, you're twenty minutes late!" Exclaimed a younger looking man with the hair same as Fujima. He had an eyebrow pierce similar to Teru's.

"Hey, who's the freshie? We didn't ask for auditions." The third one wearing rimless glasses and had his hair dyed in white, looked at Fujima.

"Guys, this is my new roommate. Kenji Fujima. He's a friend of my cousin." Teru introduced Fujima to his band. "He's new to Nagai."

"Hey." The three of them chorused.

Fujima nodded.

"This is Hiroshi, our front man." Teru pointed to the young man with the pierced eyebrow. "Can you tell he's the youngest? And this is Kyo. Our drummer." He turned to the guy with spiky red hair.

"Ryutaro. I play bass." The one with the glasses and white hair introduced himself. He held out his hand to shake Fujima's.

"Nice meeting you guys." Fujima grinned. "I'm looking forward on hearing you play."

"We're good." Kyo snickered, twirling his drumsticks.

Hiroshi suddenly rapped on the wall to get their attention. "Listen, let's cut the formalities short okay? We need to practice six songs today. I don't think my voice can handle it if we start sharing our life stories to each other."

The band nodded.

"I'm sorry, Kenji. We'll all chill out some other time. I'm not throwing you out or anything, you can stay but we have to start our practice as soon as possible."

"No problem." Fujima agreed, looking at Kana who had not said a word since they came.

"Good. Okay men, let's start." Hiroshi clapped his hands.

The band began to set up their equipments. Fujima and Kana sat quietly on the couch watching them tune their instruments. They started to play very loud and Fujima felt like the noise gave him a sudden headache. Kana looked at him from the corner of her eyes and sighed. 

"I'm going out for a bit. I'm not really fond of Hiro's voice." She confessed, standing up and walking out of the room.

"I'll go with you." Fujima rose from his seat. He gave eye signals to Teru saying that he's going out for a while.

The moon was already up, illuminating the sky while the stars were still hiding beneath the hazy clouds. Kana was outside the building, sitting on the front steps. In her hand was a cigarette stick and a lighter. Fujima appeared moments later and sat beside her. He eyed her curiously as she lighted the cigarette. Then she offered him one. Fujima instantly shook his head and kept on looking at her anxiously.

She started to make circles with the smoke, not paying attention to the person beside him. Finally he said something.

"When did you learn how to smoke?" He watched the smoke fade in the night.

Kana made a face. "I forgot. But it was just last year. Why?"

"Just wondering. You look like someone who has been smoking for a very long time." Fujima observed. "No offense."

"Is that bad?" She raised an eyebrow and made some more circles.

Fujima nodded. "Believe me, smoking doesn't fit you."

Kana pursed her lips and looked at him. Why is he telling this to her?

"Why do you smoke anyway?"

"I just do it whenever I feel nervous about something." She shrugged.

"So, are you nervous right now?" He said, never taking his eyes off her.

__

Shit. Why was he asking her questions like that? Was she really nervous? Why the hell did she start to light a cigarette in the first place? Because she just felt like it. Did that mean she _was_ nervous about something… or someone? She could feel his eyes on her. Those big deep blue eyes of his which made her uneasy. _I am nervous_. Why? Was it because of him? She shook those thoughts away, trying to think of something else to answer, but his voice broke her thoughts again.

"Have you ever tried quitting?" He leaned forward, resting one arm on his knee.

She shook her head. "Nah."

"Why not?" Fujima stared at her fascinating profile.

"No one has ever asked me to." She answered briefly.

Then all of a sudden, Fujima raised his hand and took the cigarette stick away from her lips and threw it away on the side walk.

"Hey! What's the big idea? Why did you do that?!" Kana's face became furious. "What was that for?"

Fujima looked at her gravely. "I'm asking you to quit."

The impact of what he just said struck her like a brick on the head. She blinked twice, mouth agape.

"Will you say that again?" She requested.

Fujima smiled triumphantly. "I would like you to quit smoking." He repeated.

Kana laughed. A merry girlish laugh that made his heart soar. The tone of her voice was cheerful and heart warming. He would do anything to hear her laugh like that again.

"Right, and the next thing you know is, you want me to quit drinking." She shook her head.

Fujima gently placed a finger on the tip of her nose and tilted his head forward. "No, not really. Just smoking. I'm not _that _strict." He flashed her one of his boyish little grins.

She wiggled her nose and moved her face away. "A-are you trying to seduce me?" Kana asked nervously. "Because if you do, it's working. I have this thing for guys who smile with their eyes closed y'know."

That made him laugh.

"Hey!" Kana pouted, blushing a little.

He took his time to get hold of himself again. "So, are you… going to quit?"

Kana gave a brief nod, looking away from his eyes.

"I'm glad." Fujima looked up the night sky, smiling.

The feeling was magical. Kana left like she was flying when she saw him smile like that. It was also the first time she heard him laugh. She could feel her cheeks burn everytime his eyes fell on hers. Her insides were tingling whenever he showed some concern for her. What was it about him that made her feel that way? Whatever is was, she didn't want it to stop.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?" He asked, gazing into her big black eyes.

Kana nodded. "Eichiro's going to take me to the mall." Then she laughed. "We're going to look for some punching bags."

"A date?" Fujima asked curiously.

She shook her head and smiled awkwardly. "Just hang out. Wanna crash in?"

"I can't." He sighed. "I'm going to do some researching for a report."

"Oh." Kana gave a disappointing look.

"There will be some other time." Fujima said. His happy mood seemed to disappear.

Teru's head poked out of the door, then the rest of his body followed. He was frowning.

"Are you two love birds finished? I asked for some accompaniment here." Teru said grumpily. He folded his arms to his chest and leaned on the wall. "Or are you just going to sit back and talk there?"

"The last choice was kinda good." Kana replied standing up. Fujima stood up as well, placing his hands inside his pockets.

Teru gave Fujima a menacing glare.

"Don't blame me." He shrugged. "She's a good talker. Besides, the noise was giving me quite a headache."

"You haven't heard them give their best yet." Teru informed him proudly. 

Kana rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Your ears might bleed."

"Shut up! I didn't take you here to tick me off." Teru shot back.

"Whatever." Kana hurried up the stairs before them and they followed. The three of them went back to the studio and continued to jam until they finished.

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What are you waiting for? Hit that "Go" button! ^_^


	6. Three's a crowd

Wai!!! 

Welcome to Chapter 6! *cartwheels* Woooo. Wondering why I am in genki mood today? It's because of my very nice reviewers! *forces a smile* ^_ _ _ _ ^ Hehe. jk.

Iron Kitty-sama. Thank you again for the inspiration.

Blah blah blah blah blah. School is very tiring, so yeah, I hope you guys are having much luck than I am. Lastly, Happy Holidays to everyone!

Enjoy!

****

Chapter 6 - Three's a crowd

The public library was closed due to renovation. Fujima sullenly slumped on the stairs trying to think of what to do on this pleasant Saturday morning. He was waiting for the weekend to arrive to do some school work since he couldn't surf the internet because there was no phone line in his room yet.

Of all the days for the library to get renovated. Why today? He had no agenda for the whole day except for his research. The paper was due next week but he wanted to start early, of course. Back in senior high, he and his friends often visited the library to finish their school work. They would pass it a week early so that they would have time to practice basketball. Being in the basketball club was a privilege. One got to be treated with respect and idolized by many. As former captain and coach of the basketball club in Shoyo, his studies and responsibility mixed very well.

College however, was different. One was all alone. He wanted to go back to playing basketball but he knew it was going to be hard. He wanted to finish his first year before joining club.

__

The first step is always the hardest. He kept that quote in mind thinking of the amateur turned _Tensai_ player of Shohoku.

Fujima wiped his face with his handkerchief and stood up, walking to his car.

There was absolutely no way he could research for his paper today. He didn't have anything else to do. The apartment would be empty and boring by this time. His friends may already have their own plans for the weekend. That left him alone and his Celest.

"Maybe it's time I get to visit the mall for a while." He told himself, starting the engine.

* * *

The mall in Nagai was a lot bigger than those back in his hometown. Different kinds of people, young and old, flocked the place. More people came in rather than going out. Fujima stood behind the line and waited for his turn to enter.

When he got inside, he looked around and found the reason why the place was packed. There was a mall wide sale held this day.

He decided to visit his favorite department: the sports section. This would be a great time to check out the latest in basketball gear and equipment. Before he left to study in Daigo, he left all this practice materials back at home. It wouldn't hurt if he played the sport once again; he needed some exercise anyway. He passed by his favorite men's apparel first and looked around.

"My dad would like this suit." Fujima noted as he moved closer to the window. The coat was very expensive however. Everything in that store cost over a thousand. He shook his head, disappointed, but entered the store. 

He supposed that something in that store would be on sale. He walked in between some clothes racks, carefully looking for a size. There was another nice looking suit near the fitting room. Immediately he looked for the tag revealing its price.

"Not bad." He grinned, lifting its sleeves and checking out the hems. "It's too early for Christmas, but I would never find another designer suit as cheap as this."

"I bet that looks good on you." A woman's voice said to him.

Fujima turned his head to his surprise and found Sen behind him. She was with a small girl who shyly hid behind her legs.

"Nishimura-san!" Fujima bowed. "Forgive me if I didn't see you earlier…"

"Oh, it's no problem at all." Sen smiled sweetly back at him and bowed her head. "We were just looking as well. I need to find a birthday gift for my uncle."

"Her father?" Fujima pointed at the small girl.

Sen shook her head. "She's my daughter."

"Oh." He looked stunned as he swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Surprised, aren't you?" Sen knelt down in front of the little girl and fixed the ribbon by her collar. 

Fujima nodded.

"Fujima-san," She looked up to him, "This is my daugther Arisa. Arisa, this is Kenji-niichan. He was the one who helped mommy the other day when her ankle hurt." Sen introduced them, a warm smile on her face. She stood up and pushed the little girl gently to walk over to Fujima. The former Shoyo captain went down on one knee and patted the girl on the head.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Arisa-chan." He smiled.

The little girl blushed and nodded then went back beside her mother without saying a word. 

"She doesn't really like to talk." Sen informed him sadly.

Fujima looked a little concerned. "How old is she?"

"She's turning four this summer." Sen replied, smoothing the hair of her dauther. "Are you going to buy that suit?" She looked back at him, changing the subject.

He turned back at the mannequin and sighed. "It's an excellent kind, isn't it?"

Sen nodded. "Like I said, it looks good on you."

Fujima laughed. "Oh no, it's not for me. I was planning to give it to my father. He's a lawyer and lawyers need nice suits."

"And then I bet, the two of you just look the same!" She softly chuckled. "If you really want to give it to him, then buy it." Then she extended her arm to check out the price tag. "Not bad for a price."

"Yeah, I think so too." He agreed. "Well, then. That settles it. Will you excuse me for a while, Nishimura-san?" His eyes fell on the two ladies.

Sen laughed and nodded while her daugther just blushed again.

Fujima walked towards the counter and talked to a thin man with glasses and a tape measure hanging on his shoulders. The thin man slowly took the outfit off the mannequin and handed it to a lady by the fitting room.

"Would you like to fit it, sir?" The man asked.

Fujima gave a brief nod.

"This way, please." The lady called out. She led Fujima to the last door and handed him the suit.

Sen was waiting for him by the corner with her daugther still behind her legs.

"You look like a lawyer!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands to her chest.

Fujima ran his fingers through his thick brown hair and grinned. "Thanks, I think. It's too big on me." He said moving closer to a mirror.

"It's for your father, remember?" Sen reminded him.

"Oh, oh yeah." He raised his eyebrows and scratched the back of his head. "Well?"

Sen titled her head and looked at her daugther. "What do you think, Arisa?"

The shy girl just nodded.

"Alright then. I'll take it." Fujima signaled to the thin man again, then he looked back at them and winked. "Thank God I have two great fashion consultants."

Sen just laughed at the compliment.

Fujima paid for the suit and the three of them left the store. Sen and her daugther separated ways from him afterwards, leaving him alone again. He felt a little glad to see Sen in the mall. At least for a moment, he wasn't alone. Although the news about someone looking as young as her having a daugther really shocked him. He had some questions for her, but he decided to save it till their next meeting.

The sports outlet was packed with teenage boys when he arrived. It really wasn't a good plan to go there at that time. Raging young men fought over discounted t-shirts, jerseys, jackets and more. Fujima left the store at once and headed for the music store instead.

At least that place wasn't too much occupied. The music section was a little bit more refined. The soothing music of some famous band raided the airwaves, making it more comfortable to go in. 

Walking to check out the "New Releases" stall, he saw a familiar looking figure. The young woman had earphones on her head and listening innocently to the music with her eyes closed. It was Kana.

He liked what she wore today: baggy army jeans, a black shirt and an orange bandanna on her hair. She looked cute and sporty, he noted. He just wished that he could see her belly ring again. The idea made him laugh and shake his head. Fujima marched towards her, carrying his father's early christmas present in his hand.

She was listening to BoA's latest single. He smiled. BoA was one his favorite artists. Fujima just stood there waiting for her to finish the song, eyeing her excellent stature with his blue eyes.

Finally she opened her eyes and was startled as soon as she saw Fujima standing in front of her.

"Fujima-kun! How long have you been there?!" Kana quickly removed the headphones from her head and placing it down.

"Just a few moments ago." He shrugged, looking at the CD in her hands. "You like BoA?"

Kana smiled. "Uh-huh. She's really cool." Then she looked around and placed her gaze back on him again. "I suppose you like her too?"

"Yeah. I think she's really pretty and her voice is different from the others."

"I thought you were going to the library? What are you doing here then?"She asked curiously, patting the CD case on her palm. "Looks like you've been shopping." Her eyes shifted on the bag behind him.

Fujima felt a slight blush creep on his face and looked at the bag."Oh, this one? It's for my father."

Kana's eyebrow arched and smiled. "Ahh, you're a nice son." That was all she could say about that.

"Thanks." Fujima replied. "You come here often?" He asked but before she could answer, Eichiro suddenly appeared beside Kana, sliding his arms around her waist and nuzzling his face on her hair.

"Hey, how's it goin', Kenji?" Eichiro greeted, removing his hands on her waist and placing in on Kana's shoulder.

"Fine." He answered casually. 

Eichiro turned to Kana and frowned. "You going to buy that or what? I'm starving. We've been here for almost an hour."

"Yeah, just a minute." Kana rolled her eyes and avoiding Fujima's stare. Kana squared her shoulders and walked over to the counter leaving the two.

"Whatcha doing here?" Eichiro asked Fujima lazily, leaning on the stall.

"Killing time." He replied coolly. "I was supposed to go to be at the library but it was closed."

"Library on a Saturday?" Eichiro raised his voice. "Man, are you sick? You have a week for school and only two days for rest!"

Fujima shrugged. "I've got nothing else to do."

Eichiro shook his head and laughed. "You need to learn how to hang-out. Kana and I can show you around sometime. If you want…"

__

What does this guy think I am? Some sort of geek? Fujima confronted his thoughts. _I do know how to hang out. I just don't like wasting my time on unproductive things._

He forced himself to smile. "Yeah, sure."

"So, where do you guys wanna eat?" Kana asked as they left the store. She stood in between Fujima and Eichiro.

"I should be going now. I'll let the two of you eat your lunch alone." Fujima looked around.

"Nah." Eichiro slapped his back. "We don't mind, do we, Kana?" He looked back at her.

"Guess not." She mumbled.

Fujima shook his head again. "I'm fine, I'm really not that hungry. And…" He hesitated.

"Just come with us, okay?" Kana suddenly spat out. "It's only lunch! We're not going to eat you or something."

"Yeah." Eichiro nodded, looking at little surprised. "We're all roomies here, remember? We should get along... y'know, chill out?"

Fujima shrugged. "If you say so." He finally agreed.

They ended up in a pizza parlor and entered the booth.

Kana and Fujima looked for some seats and waited while Eichiro went to the counter to place their orders. Suddenly, Eichiro came rushing to Kana and pulled her out of her seat. He dragged Kana to a corner and hissed. "Quick, lend me some money!"

"What?!" Kana exclaimed. 

He looked embarassed. "I used all my money. Can I borrow some?"

"I only have a few here left! I spent it all already. How did that happen?" She scowled. "You're the one who's hungry!"

Eichiro rolled his eyes. "I used all my money in the arcade."

"Then cancel the order, you idiot!" She shot back. Her eyes nervously looking at Fujima. He was staring at them curiously.

"Er, I can't." He sighed. "The lady just punched it in."

"Damnit!" Kana swore. "Let's get out of here then."

"What about him?" Eichiro squeezed Kana's arm and pointed at Fujima.

Kana passed a hand over her face and frowned. "We'll tell him the truth. God, I can't believe you would do something stupid like this!" She said as they approached the table.

The girl stood beside Fujima and lowed her head. Fujima looked up in her eyes and stared at them. "Is something wrong, Kana-san?"

"We have to go, Fujima-kun." Kana confessed, looking embarrassed. "Uh… Eichiro forgot his wallet." She mumbled, pretending to scratch an itch on her ear.

"No problem." Fujima stood up and reached for his wallet. "I'll pay for it."

"You will?!" Eichiro's face brightened. 

"Shut up!" Kana nudged him on the stomach with her elbow. Then she turned to Fujima again. "It's okay, we can eat when we get home. It's no big deal."

Fujima shook his head and insisted. "I said, it's alright. Besides, you guys must be hungry." He started to walk to the counter.

"We'll pay you when we get back." Kana muttered, giving up.

The former Shoyo captain, looked back at her and grinned. "You don't need to bother. It's my treat."

Kana gaped in shock as Eichiro pulled her back to take a seat. 

"I really have to go now." Fujima stood up, wiping his mouth with a tissue paper. "I have to finish some paperwork."

The two looked up at him and nodded. 

"Thanks again, Fujima-kun." Kana bowed her head. Eichiro did the same thing.

"Anytime." He replied. "See you guys back at the apartment." He waved and walked out the store.

* * *

Fujima was back in his room around the mid-afternoon. His hands were behind his head and he let his thoughts wander off again. He was seriously thinking of putting up a phone line in his room. If the library was closed, he sure needed the internet for backup. First, he would need to ask Teru about that.

It has almost been a week since he started to live in Nagai and he was feeling a little used to it by now. Teru was a good roommate, even though he was kinda noisy at night due to his guitar. But, nevertheless, he played nice tunes. He was a little worried about Hanagata's cousin. He took his music career more seriously than his studies. Fujima didn't want to interfere, but he thought Teru needed some help when it came to his schooling. Kana, was just like him. He often saw her hanging around the hallways with Eichiro. Not that Eichiro was a bad influence on her but the both of them were a little happy-go-lucky. He could still remember those things they talked about when they were together. He noticed how different the way she acts towards him and other people. It was puzzling. Fujima shoved those thoughts away, leaving behind Kazuya. Kana's older brother. He never saw Kazuya during the day and only a peek of him at night when he wanted to borrow something from Teru. Kazuya was the oldest, next to Teru. The man was probably busy with school. He _was_ taking up engineering, or he could have a job. He really didn't know, maybe one day he could ask them about that.

The young musician came back late that night. He looked a little tired and drained. Fujima welcomed him by the couch as he watched TV. Teru slumped on the seat and stretched his arms, yawning.

"What have you been up too?" Fujima asked.

"We had a gig and Ryutaro had a fight, we all got mixed in." He massaged his shoulder.

"How was it? I mean the gig."

"The same. We got banned in the bar." Teru looked a little dissappointed. "It always happens. No biggie."

"How's that?"

"Well…" Teru began, "There was this chick by the counter and that bastard, Ryutaro who was drunk, came to her and slapped her ass. Of course the girl got mad and slapped him on the face."

Fujima nodded, waiting for him to say more.

"The next thing we know is, the girl was the daugther of the guy who owned the bar and he threw us out!" Teru gritted his teeth.

"I can imagine how…" He thought for a while, "…how Hiroshi looked."

"Yeah," Teru agreed. "That _was_ the fight. Anyway, it's eleven already, why you still up?"

"I was going to ask if it was okay if we put a phone here. I need it for the internet." Fujima explained, shuting the TV. off.

Teru looked around. "Sure, as long as you're going to pay for it."

"I will." He said, standing up.

"Do whatever you want." Teru shrugged and grinned.

"Thanks." Fujima bowed and walked to his room. "Good night."

"Yeah, you too… and hey," He called. "Dinner, tomorrow, Kazuya's room. We always have sort-off family gathering every Sunday night. Kana's cooking."

Fujima nodded briefly. "Sure." Then he locked the door.

----------

Rah rah rah! Go go go!


	7. Disclosure

Wah! I'm late…

Before anything else, Meri Kurisimasu, Minna-san!!! I've been busy with stuff. I hope you guys forgive me for not updating my fics. Anyway, this my present to all of you.

Enjoy the chapter.

****

Chapter 7 - Disclosure

He threw the ball aimlessly into the air and it perfectly went in the hoop, making the rusted rim vibrate along with the moss-covered wooden board. Sweat rolled down his forehead all the way down to his neck, he rigorously wiped it with the hem of his shirt and ran after the ball.

It felt good. It was like nothing he ever felt before since he moved to Nagai. He missed playing basketball. It was the one thing he always loved and loved him back.

Once again he dribbled and tried to go farther away from the gray-white border line and made an instant leap throwing the ball into the air. He sent the ball flying towards the ring and into the hoop. The board then vibrated again. He quickly dashed after the ball, and dribbling it again towards the center of the court.

The peaceful and cool bay area breeze of his new town rushed in, enveloping his tired body, sending chills run down his spine. He took a deep breath and focused his bright big blue eyes at the hoop and then he closed it, slowly…

There is was - the sound of squeeky shoes scouring along the gym floor. Each sole made a different kind of noise depending on the move. Then there was the dribbling of the ball, hitting the polished wooden surface, making the sound of a heartbeat. It made his heart throb even faster. He can feel it pounding against his chest. Lastly, the voices. The cheers of different people rooting for their team. _Shoyo_. The screaming and shouting his distinguished name. _Fujima_. 

The crowd loved him and his team looked up to him. He beamed a smile as he opened his eyes, flashing directly at the ring. He could still hear the echoes of the cheers, he could also hear his heart, his breathing. He dribbled the ball gracefully and constantly. His eyes narrowing from each corner, looking at both sides. Fujima made a crouch, continuing to let the ball touch his sweaty palms and his fingers. Then a tall hazy figure appeared before him, wearing a red jersey. 

Shohoku. 11. 

The face was blank but he knew who it was. Swiftly he made a side-step backward as the figure tried to reach for the ball. Quickly, Fujima dribbled the ball behind him sending it to his left hand and caught it, then he made a clockwise turn and eluded his opponent. He dashed towards the hoop as another tall and sturdy figure suddenly emerged before him. 

Kainan. 4.

With its face still blank, the figure had his hands raised, covering Fujima's sight of the ring. He narrowed his eyes and made a sudden jump backwards. His body was leaning on an invisible slanted wall, his sight of the ring was slowly getting farther but he knew what he was doing. He lifted his arms, making a perfect fade-away jump shot form, tossing the ball into the afternoon air once again.

It went in, of course. As Fujima landed back on both feet he heard a sound. An applause.

He looked behind his shoulders and saw a woman clapping her hands with a cheerful look on her face.

"Wow, you were great!" She said, still clapping her hands.

Fujima turned around, breathing heavily. "Nishimura-san." He bowed his head.

Sen approached him with a smile. "I never knew you could play basketball."

"You never asked." He replied picking up the ball and placing it against his hips.

She laughed. "Of course. That move was quite something, Fujima-san. Are you in the basketball club in your school?"

"Back in senior high."

"How about now?"

He shook his head. "I'll try out next year. I want to concentrate on my studies first."

"I guess. I'm sure you will make it." Sen approved.

"Thanks." He heaved. Sweat continued to trickle down his entire body. "I think, I need some rest now. Let's go back to the car"

Both of them walked side by side towards his Celest. Fujima opened the trunk and placed the basketball back in and reached out for his water jug. When he finished drinking, he looked at Sen who was just staring at him, then he smiled.

"You have this habit of surprising me. What brings you here?" He asked.

Sen laughed again. "I was on my way to pick up Arisa, when I saw your car parked. I was wondering what you were doing, so I came to stop by."

"Ah. Where is Arisa-chan now?" He placed the water jug back and reached for a towel.

"She's at a friend's birthday party."

Fujima wiped his face and continued to ask questions. "What about your husband? Why won't he pick her up?" He asked casually.

"I don't have a husband." Sen answered proudly.

He stopped wiping his face and frowned. "But… I thought, you…"

"I'm a single mother." She cut him off. "I didn't want to tell you yesterday because I don't want Arisa to learn about her father." She looked a little embarrassed.

"Why not? All children deserve to know and have a father."

Sen looked away from his stare. "He's not important. Arisa doesn't deserve a father who would just abandon his family." Her voice hardened.

"I'm sorry." Fujima gulped. "I didn't mean to say that."

Her expression went back to normal. "It's okay, Fujima-san. It's not your fault. You see, three years ago when I was still in senior high, I had a boyfriend. I loved him so much and I never wanted for us to be apart. That's why… I thought, if we had a baby or got married…"

The former Shoyo capatin listened, his face pale.

"Then when I told him I was pregnant, he left me." She continued, her voice shaky and her face was red. "He said, it wasn't his child. He got mad because he said I was having an affair with another man. He didn't want to love a woman who was carrying another person's baby. I told him I would never do that to him and it was his baby I was carrying, but he didn't believe me." Sen paused. "I was carrying his baby, Fujima-san!" She cried out, collapsing on the ground, crying her heart out. "He left me after that and never came back!"

Fujima kneeled on the ground, his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, don't cry. Maybe… maybe you really didn't deserve him. It was all a test." He comforted her. "Calm yourself, Nishimura-san. You can't turn the past now. What's done is done."

Sen wiped her tears and looked at Fujima. "I'm very sorry, Fujima-san. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"I should be the one to say that. I'm sorry for asking." He said. "Just be glad you have Arisa. At least she will never leave you."

She nodded as Fujima helped her stand up. "Arisa must be waiting for me. I have to go now. Thank you for understanding, Fujima-san." The young mother smiled and walked away.

Fujima smiled back as Sen left him alone in the court. The sun already set and his wrist watch beeped 6:00 pm. He remembered that today he was spending dinner with his roommates. Fujima hurried back in the car and headed to his apartment.

* * *

****

Fujima reached the apartment after a few minutes and immediately headed towards the bathroom. He heard Teru shouting outside, telling him to go to Kazuya's room when he finishes. Then there was a loud bang of the door and then it was quiet.

"What are we having today?" Teru asked. He was sitting between an empty chair and Kazuya. His long blue dyed hair was wet and tucked behind his ears.

"Guess." Kazuya grumbled as he took a seat and raised his feet on the surface. The table was round and it has 6 chairs. Kazuya sat between Eichiro and Teru.

Eichiro laughed and pounded a fist on the table. "You really don't have to ask, Teru. You already know."

"Hey, stop making fun of my sister's cooking! At least she can cook." Kazuya defended, then he pointed a finger at Eichiro. "If ever she hears you laugh, Eichiro, she's going to bash your brains out."

"Yeah, yeah. As if you didn't laugh at her cooking before." He rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." Kazuya sneered, scratching his chest.

Teru leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms to his chest. "What's taking her so long? I'm starving."

There was smoke coming out of her kitchen. Kana quickly opened the door to let the air out. She stepped outside and waved her hands back and forth to let the smoke disperse. At the same time, the freshly bathed Fujima went out of his room. He started to cough.

"K-Kana-san?" He choked.

"Sorry about that. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." Kana replied going back in her room and leaving her door open, 

Fujima followed.

"Smells good." He sniffed, surprising Kana. She was wearing a yellow apron and her hair was tied in a bun, revealing her neck and her shoulders.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks."

Kana looked at Fujima with awe. He appeared different after talking a bath. She never saw him with his hair dripping wet and smelling fresh. Again, she could whiff out the aroma of his aftershave. He smelled really nice.

She took off her apron, displaying her belly ring to him. He smiled.

"Hey," She called, arching an eyebrow. "Stop staring."

"Oh yeah, sorry." He scratched the back of his head.

"Anyway…" Kana said, looking away from him. "Can you bring these to Kazuya's room? I'll carry the rice."

"Sure." He moved closer to her as Kana handed him the pot. Their skin touched slightly. 

Kana quickly took the rice bowl and walked out of her room with Fujima behind her. 

"Finally!" Teru exclaimed, pushing Kazuya's feet of the table, almost letting him fall of the chair. Kazuya glared back at him.

"Whoops. Sorry." Teru made a face.

"Is that smoke?" Eichiro tilted his head, looking out the door. Then Fujima entered with their main course.

"No." Kana replied flatly.

As Fujima placed the pot on the table, Teru stood up and raised his hands on top of the pot and closed his eyes. He made a humming sound and pretended like he was some sort of magician.

"Let me guess… Braisedbeef?" He opened one eye and looked at Kana.

"That's it!" Kana shouted at him. "You're not going to eat!" 

"Just kidding!" Teru shrank back to his seat. Fujima sat on the empty chair beside him while Kana sat beside Eichiro. There was an empty chair bordering them.

Kazuya opened the pot and more steam emerged from it. "Whoa." He coughed.

"You burned it?" Eichiro raised an eyebrow.

"So? Are you going to eat or not?"

"Nevermind." He said. Eichiro took a scoop of rice and the semi-burned beef with his chopsticks.

When all of them got their share. Kazuya started to speak. "I heard you're getting a phoneline, Kenji."

"By next week maybe." Fujima answered.

"Our landlady usually doesn't want to have phonelines in this apartment. I wonder what happened." Kazuya pondered.

"She said it was all right. She knew I was going to use it for the internet." Fujima explained.

"She must have a crush on you. That old hag hates us." Kana teased.

"Probably." Eichiro added.

Teru spoke up. "That adds up to our bill."

"You're not paying anything, Stupid!" Kazuya snapped then he looked back at Fujima. "We could use it too, right?"

Fujima nodded. "Yeah, sure." 

"Cheapskates." Kana said under her breath, taking a quick glance on Fujima. He had his sleeves rolled up, exposing his upper arms. She noticed that he was broader now than before.

"How's school so far?" Kazuya asked Fujima again. "Are you enjoying, Daigo?"

"It's okay. I'm just getting the hang of it." He replied after swallowing a piece of beef.

Eichiro took a drink of his beer can and spoke. "I told him that he could hang out with us sometime. We could show you around."

"Yeah, Eichiro. Take let's take him to your favorite spot---" Teru pointed his chopsticks at him.

"Quit it, Teru!" Eichiro growled. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Oh yeah, before I forget. We have to pay our rent by the end of the month. I still haven't received your share, Teru."

"Uh... well, y'see, Kazuya…" Teru began. "We didn't get paid from our last gig." He confessed. "I'll make a double for next month. I swear."

"Be sure you do. I'm working my ass off that construction site. I dunno if I can even continue college. I might as well let Kana finish first."

"No way! You can't do that!" Kana protested.

"We'll see. Maybe I could ask money from Grandma, back in Shibuya." Kazuya stroked his chin. "Don't worry about it."

Fujima was first to finish his dinner and then the rest of them followed. Kazuya fished a packet of cigarettes out of his pocket. He took one stick and passed the box to Eichiro. Eichiro took a stick, lighted it and passed the box to Kana.

Kana stared at the box. She could feel Fujima's eyes on her. She sighed and passed the box back to Eichiro.

"Sorry, I quit." She announced.

All eyes were suddenly on her.

"Excuse me?" Teru said, looking a little surprised. "Did you just say, _you quit_?" Then he snickered as Kana nodded.

Kazuya placed his stick on the ashtray and stared at his sister. "Since when?"

"Yeah, since when?" Eichiro raised an eyebrow, puffing some smoke of out his mouth.

Kana avoided Fujima's eyes and took a deep breath. "Since I read that article about lung cancer." She lied.

"You can read!?" Teru's eyes were wide.

"Duh!" Kana shot back.

Kana rolled her eyes and gave Fujima a worried look. Trying to get some answers from his stare, she took another deep breath and started explaining.

"Lung cancer," She repeated. "It has the highest death rate compared to heart cancer. Usually, the disease has already spread to the other parts of the body before it is detected. Uh, there are only aboit 10 percent of people with lung cancer saved." She seized her chopsticks and took out a piece of left over beef from the pot and showed it to them "Once your cells turn into cancer cells because of the effect of nicotine in cigarettes, the mucus in your lungs is trapped. The cancer cells form a mass called tumor… it looks like this. If this---" She shoved the beef on Eichiro's plate "---is not taken out from your lungs immediately, you die. Get it? And I don't want to die." She finished.

They all became quiet for a moment. Eichiro swallowed the lump in his throat and threw the cigarette into the ashtray. Kazuya did the same thing.

"Maybe you should have transferred to med school instead." Fujima told Kana, ignoring the others. 

"Uh… I…" She found it hard to breathe all of a sudden. She really didn't have any idea of what she just said.

Fujima smiled at her. "That's really impressive, Kana-san. My mother _is_ a doctor. I've heard her discuss those topics with me back then."

Kana felt a slight tingle of relief inside her. Fujima just saved her life, _again_.

"Cool!" Teru finally spoke up. "We're all non-smokers here now!"

"Shut up!" Kazuya and Eichiro exclaimed in unison.

Both of them looked at each other with winning smiles on their faces.

"Thank you." Kana mouthed.

Fujima fixed his eyes on the girl and grinned boyishly. Kana returned a faint smile and nodded helplessly. 

The former Shoyo captain had just completed his first week in Nagai. So far, everything went well. His apartment was good enough, his roommate was cool, his schooling was fine and he met nice and interesting people which made everying quite okay. As the days pass by, more expectations and excitement awaits him.

----------

*huggles*


End file.
